The same bishop continues: "I see with grief that a rage for amusement induces Christian mothers to bring their daughters into assemblies where immoral dances are carried on. These same females sometimes exteriorly profess piety, and even approach the sacraments. They pretend that they do so under the direction of their confessors. I cannot believe their statement. No confessor could tolerate such abuses: doing so he would coöperate, by a culpable negligence, in the scandals given by such penitents, and would entail a great responsibility on his conscience before God". These words of the zealous bishop prove that those who have the care or direction of souls ought to be most active in preventing scandalous dances, which give occasion to so many sins. Certainly those who indulge in such amusements are not worthy to be united to the Immaculate Lamb of God by receiving the sacrament of the Blessed Eucharist, until they determine to abandon their bad habits. Many who take part in modern dances, and who spend their nights in the excitement of the polka and the waltz, say that they are not conscious of having committed sin, and that they have a right to approach the sacraments. Our author would not believe their assertions or admit their claims. They appear to forget that there is such a sin as the waste of time, such a sin as scandal. Though imagining themselves free from guilt, they may have been the occasion of the spiritual ruin of others by their example, or by their improper dresses, and have a grievous responsibility on their souls. Anyhow, it is not edifying that persons who during the week continually indulged in vanity or impropriety of dress, and in dangerous amusements, should be freely allowed to approach the holy altar on Sundays. Spiritual directors must take care not to render themselves, by their laxity, responsible for the sins of others. Though their penitents say they committed no sins themselves, yet that is not sufficient. It must be seen whether they have not made others commit sin, or at least put them in danger of doing so. A translation of the work of Father Dechamps into English would serve to give accurate ideas on modern fashions, and to correct prevalent abuses. Indeed, everything ought to be encouraged that tends to check the growth of an effeminate spirit and the extravagant love of costly and corrupting fashions, which cannot fail to bring great scourges on the world. II. _Obnoxious Oaths and Catholic Disabilities: A Speech of Sir J. Gray, etc._ Fowler, 3 Crow Street, Dublin, 1865.